Democracy, the people power of ancient Greece, has a long history. It was an outpouring of the human soul, expressed so well by Lincoln the government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. Unfortunately, the slaughter at Gettysburg did not
establish democracy. Apart from Switzerland, we are still ruled by tyrants in one form or another; political party leaders, dictators, religious zealots, war lords, and bureaucracies. They are all social cancers that feed on us by nibbling away at our inalienable right to self-determination. All our other ‘freedoms’ rest on this one bedrock. The right to freedom of speech, of assembly, of religion, all rest there. As do the rights to property, and equal treatment under the law.
We think the law, and our courts, are a safeguard for our rights. Nonsense! The Supreme Court has nine judges. In a split decision, four judges say aye, four say nay. The decision then rests with the ninth judge, just one person. The first, unsettling conclusion, is that law is a matter of opinion. There is nothing carved in stone. There is no eternal truth. We can twist the direction of an entire country by carefully selecting the judges. Canada does that. So does the USA.
The second conclusion is that the opinion of just one person becomes the law of the land. That is the very epitome of dictatorship.
The same system is seen at the municipal level, where a handful of people use a simple majority to force their vision on the taxpayers. In this case the vision is just a reflection of the underlying bureaucracy.
This unhappy situation played out in Victoria County around 2000; the scourge of amalgamation, that spewed out the City of Kawartha Lakes. VOCO, the Voices of Central Ontario, was organized to resist amalgamation, then, later, to undo this dreadful mistake. But the underlying principle was the same. Victoria County belongs to the residents. It should be they who determine its future. It is not, and never was, the personal fiefdom of Harry Kitchen, who ruled supreme in this issue.
The fact that the municipality, and the Province, broke promises, and ignored popular votes, is important. None of the benefits came to be. Commitments to better service, a smaller bureaucracy, lower taxes, and zero debt, turned out to be absolute rubbish; as predicted by the
opponents of amalgamation. However; the key matter is that no government, no person, has the right to overrule the expressed wishes of the people. The sovereign will of the people is the highest right in the land.
Citizens for Direct Democracy (C4DD) was established to put the people in the driving seat. To follow our collective vision. To establish our collective rules. Our vision is based on good science, often expressed as The Wisdom of Crowds. I prefer an older version Vox Populi, Vox
Dei. The voice of the people is the voice of God. The people, collectively, have an inner sense of what is right or wrong, what is wise or foolish, what is frugal or wasteful. They are not swayed by glib arguments, by self-serving politicians, or by imperialistic bureaucracies. The people have common sense.
The C4DD is forging links with other groups who share this same basic tenet. These groups, such as the Ontario Landowners Association (OLA), may have some specific objectives. The OLA asks a simple question Dear government, which part of my property do you not understand? VOCO makes a simple demand: Government, honour your promise.
The Trillium Party says, in part, Important decisions will be made by the people.
That is why we are encouraged by our contacts with OLA, VOCO, and Trillium. Our mutual support, and larger base, will be a great help as we take on the fight against those who would have us pay, and obey.
We have produced a number of videos that feature the problems with our local municipal council. I expect that other jurisdictions have similar problems. These videos may be found at our website www.citizensfordirectdemocracy.ca. There are also links to other videos on
democracy. On the whole, we have selected ones that are short, snappy, and often humorous.